A Different Kind of Pain
by DreamShadows
Summary: Dom gets a wakeup call, literally. Brian's not as okay as he seems. Soldier verse. Sequel to 'Come Back Home.'


**Title: **A Different Kind of Pain  
**Author:** Obuletfury302 aka DreamShadows  
**Summary:** Dom gets a wakeup call. Brian's not as okay as he seems. **Soldier **verse. Sequel to 'Come Back Home.'  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with the Fast and the Furious.  
**Author's Note:** So apparently I get randomly attacked by plot bunnies at one in the morning…. This is the result. Hope it's okay, and I am really sorry it took me so long to continue with this verse. Not beta'ed.

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'_I'll make a soldier's decision to fly away  
Load my gun, paint my face, call me misery  
I can see the sky light up and the ground explode  
Got my sights locked in, I can see you breathe  
Then i watched you fall and somebody scream  
It's the saddest thing when angels fly away'_

_-When Angels Fly Away - Cold_

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_His breath was catching in little hitches in his throat with every loud 'pop' the machine gun gave next to him._

_With every smooth movement of his own hands as he reloaded his own weapon, panic that he would be next down, tore at his stomach._

_Fear beat at him as the jeep he was in became airborne. _

_Heat flared in a white flash behind his eyes, and his heart pounded in fear. _

_Fire danced around and ate at him even as the jeep impacted jarringly with the ground in a series of painful roles._

_Pain ripped through his side and his head hit the roll bar above him harshly._

_Screams and choking little gasps followed him down into unconsciousness._

XXXX

The scream died in Brian's throat as he jackknifed awake, a heavy restrictive weight around his middle pressing him back down. Instinctively he fought against the weight, panic spiking as the weight gripped him even tighter, pulling him back down.

Fighting even harder he felt his chest seize in reaction to the fear encompassing, and was completely caught off guard when the restriction ceased, his fighting sending him falling backwards.

Brian hit the floor hard, blankets tangling around his legs like binding ropes notching his fear higher and sending him scrambling until his back met the cool of the wall.

He could still hear the cries echoing all around him, could still see the blood painting the sand, and he could still smell the copper of blood mingling with the burnt quality of the dessert air. The heat was still wrapped tightly around him, the heat of the air, and the bright flashes of heat as a bomb exploded under him.

As a bomb exploded under his _entire_ unit.

His breath quickened in frantic spurts, too little air making its way past his closing throat and into his starved lungs.

XXXX

Dom woke to Brian struggling out of his grip, panicked little gasps and frantic whimpers making him first tighten his hold, and then release his lover. Brian fell off the bed with a hard 'thump' and then continued to push himself back until he was plastered against the wall, eyes wild and rolling around the room.

As he watched Brian frantically push himself farther away and firmly into the wall, Dom was becoming more and more concern- _it was scaring the shit out of him_.

He faintly heard the soft thuds of footsteps echoing in the hall as he quietly pushed himself off the bed, and walked over to where Brian was trying to mesh himself with the wall. Crouching down, he put a gentle hand on his lover's unhurt shoulder, and felt his stomach clench harshly at the shivers wracking Brian's frame.

A sliver of light blinded him as the door opened, and he felt Brian flinch and then tense as Mia and Leon stuck their heads in to see what was going on. Dom put up his free hand towards them in warning, before leaning forward to settle down on his knees in front of Brian. He dropped the hand that was warding the two onlookers at the door down onto the floor beside Brian's thigh, and gave the shoulder in his grip a light squeeze.

Brian's breath hitched in response, and his shoulder jerked, still locked tightly in the world of his nightmare. Frantic, shallow intakes of air made Brian's chest move in harsh shaky movements, increasing the shivers spreading through the man's shoulders, and Dom's fear notched a little bit higher.

Brian had been back with them for a little over a week, and Dom had gotten complacent, not thinking about the effects that the war could have on his lover. There was bruising and cuts that he could obviously see, but it was becoming more and more clear that the war hadn't left Brian psychologically or emotionally unscathed.

Seeing his strong, resilient lover reduced to a shivering mass on the floor kind of broke something loose in Dom's chest and he felt almost like he was floundering. Hearing Mia gasp from her place in the doorway, Dom pulled from his thoughts and focused back on Brian, who was by now starting to look a little more aware, if not still terrified.

"Brian?" his voice was no more than a low rumble, meant to catch the other man's attention, but not to scare. Shattered blue eyes looked up at him, and one of Brian's hands lifted to clamp tightly onto his thigh. "Baby, it's okay. You're okay." When Brian shifted a little in his grip, and his hand squeezed his thigh, Dom risked palming Brian's cheek.

At the contact, Brian all but launched himself at Dom, fingers digging into the muscles of his back as the younger man buried his face in Dom's neck. Shivers still ran through Brian's frame, and Dom could feel the warm wetness of tears on his shoulder as Brian's breath hitched roughly.

"They're dead. _Burning._" It was barely a whisper, but Dom heard the confession all the same, heard the heartbreaking vulnerability held within the words. Heard it, and _felt it like a blow to the sternum._

XXXX

He heard Dom, and felt his lover's strong arms winding around him, and something cracked inside him. It was almost as if he knew it was safe to let go, that no matter what happened Dom was going to be there for him.

"Brian, it's okay. You're not there anymore, you're safe." Dom's voice rumbled through his chest and into Brian's, comforting him more than he ever would have thought possible. He could feel himself relaxing into the bigger man's hold, even as tears ran unchecked down his cheeks, the glaring reality of what had happened smacking into him.

There were so many distorted faces, so many feral screams and echoing gunfire ripping and tearing through his head. The images seemed to fade and the noises muted as Dom talked to him, the strong arms around him tightening, grounding him to the present.

He felt Dom turn, and a rough touch of lips pressed to his temple. "You're okay, Bri. It's alright now." Brian nodded into Dom's neck, wrapping his arms more securely around the other man, one hand resting on the swell of muscle between Dom's throat and shoulder.

Dom's arm moved down to his waist and physically pulled him off the floor until his stomach and chest were fitted together against his lover's. The sliver of light disappeared and he heard the 'click' of the door closing as Dom continued pulling until Brian was upright before almost carrying him to the bed.

He hadn't even realized how worn out he was until his head was pillowed on Dom's chest. His eyes closed of their own volition as Dom continued his low mumbling, soothing Brian into sleep before he knew what was happening.

XXXX

Dom watched as Brian slept, his heart twisting painfully in his chest as the images of Brian scared on the floor bore into him. Unconsciously he tightened his hold on his lover, wanting him as close as he could get him, wanting to protect the other man from everything, including his memories.

_'I can't be home tonight, I'll make it back its alright  
No one could ever love me half as good as you  
If you can't be strong tonight, love makes you sad it's alright  
No one could ever worry half as good as you'_


End file.
